TEXTILE AND LEATHER CONFERENCE 2013 Presentation:

ORGANIZED BY KENYA BUREAU OF STANDARDS Sirmoi Wekesa

VENUE :BOMA HOTEL Technical Director
DATES: Thursday, 29th August 2013 Geosynthetics EA Ltd

Geosynthetics Applications in Civil Engineering; An

Introduction to value Engineering (VE) Technologies

GEOSYNTHETICS EAST AFRICA Ltd

Solutions that Last
 Introduction to Geosynthetics
ASTM (2006) D 4439 defines a geosynthetic as a
planar product manufactured from a polymeric
material used with soil, rock, earth, or other
geotechnical-related material as an integral part of
a civil engineering project, structure, or system.

A number of geosynthetics are available, including

geotextiles, geogrids, geomembranes, geonets,
geomeshes, geowebs, and geocomposites. Part I
DIFFERENT TYPES OF GEOSYNTHETICS

Geocomposite Erosion Control Geosynthetics

Geotextile Geonet Geocell Geogrids

GEOGRID TYPES

Different Types of Geogrids used for ground New Quaxial

Improvement:;; and New Four-axial

(b) Biaxial (c) Uniaxial

(a) Triaxial
Applications Of Geosynthetics
GROUND STABILIZATION/ IMPROVEMENT
GROUND STABILIZATION/ IMPROVEMENT….CNTD
PAVEMENTS: ROADS, PARKING BAYS, HARD STANDINGS
PAVEMENTS: RUNWAYS, APRONS & TAXIWAYS
HEAVY DUTY PAVEMENTS: PORTS AND HABOURS
PAVEMENTS: ASPHALT REINFORCEMENT
RAILWAYS
EROSION CONTROL
RETAINING, RE WALLS AND BRIDGE ABUTMENTS
BUILDING FOUNDATION IMPROVEMENTS
VALUE ENGINEERED BENEFITS
  Construction cost-time savings
VALUE ENGINEERING through the reduction of required
BENEFITS pavement material quantities, whilst
maintaining enhanced structural
performance.
Appropriate application of
 Elongated pavement structural life –
geosynthetics can realize the span particularly as a result of
incorporating the filtration/separation
following benefits. geotextile.
 Reduction in maintenance
requirements as a result of enhanced
structural performance.
 Environmental conservation -
mainly due to reduction in material
quantities and erosion control.
 Enhanced Geotechnical Engineering Properties

Construction Time Savings Benefits

 VALUE ENGINEERED BENEFITS
Description Quantity placed per day Area [m2] Layer thickness[m] Quantity in volume [m3] Time taken in Days [in
[m3] weeks]

Import place and 300 311,550 0.2 62,310 200 days [28weeks]
compact ground
stabilization material
[cement]

Import place and 193 311,550 0.4 124,620 646 days

compact granular
material for sub-base [92 weeks]

Excavation to spoil of 1000 51,031 1.5 76,546.50 77 days

poor quality material
[11 weeks]

Import, place and 578 51,031 2.0 102,062 177 days

compact capping layer or
backfill material [25 weeks]

TOTAL DURATION TAKEN TO CONSTRUCT THE PAVEMENT* 156 weeks

 VALUE ENGINEERED BENEFITS
Description Quantity placed Area [m2] Layer Quantity in Time taken in
per day [m3] thickness[m] volume [m3] Days [in weeks]

Import place 193 311,550 0.3 93,465 484 days

and compact
[69 weeks]
granular
material for
sub-base
Top Soil 680 51,031 0.15 7,654.65 12 days
stripping and
[2 weeks]
disposal or
grading*

TOTAL DURATION TAKEN TO CONSTRUCT THE PAVEMENT* 71 weeks

*This might not be necessary especially if the water table is very high. Grading normally
helps to create the platform for grid placement.
• Time saved is approximately 50%.
 Enhanced Geotechnical Engineering Properties

Construction Cost Savings Benefits

 VE BENEFITS – ROAD OVER SWAMP CROSSING

 The proposed road was crossing a 1.2km swampy stretch.

 The soils were peat with low bearing capacities with CBRs of
about 0.5%.
 The design assumed the peat thickness to be 1.0m before getting
on to hard ground.
 The actual thickness was deeper than 1.0m; instead it went
beyond 3m.
 The contractor wanted to finish the section before the rains
started.
 VE BENEFITS – ROAD OVER SWAMP CROSSING

COST AS PER CONVENTIONAL DESIGN

DESCRIPTION UNITS LENGTH[m] WIDTH[m] DEPTH[m] QUANTITY RATE TOTAL

Excavate 1m thick to spoil m3 1200 15 1 18000 $ 5.33 $ 96,000.00

Fill 1m thick of rock m3 1200 15 1 18000 $ 16.00 $ 288,000.00

TOTAL AMOUNT $ 384,000.00

 VE BENEFITS – ROAD OVER SWAMP CROSSING
COST AS PER THE GEOSYNTHETICS DESIGN

UNI LENGT WIDTH DEPTH

DESCRIPTION TS H[m] [m] [m] QITY RATE TOTAL
Tensar TX 170 Geogrids
[Supply and Placement] m2 1200 15 - 18000 $ 13.26 $ 238,653.60

TOTAL AMOUNT AS PER THE TENSAR PROPOSAL

$ 238,653.60

AMOUNT SAVED $ 145,346.40

PERCENTAGE OF AMOUNT SAVED [%] 37.85 %

VE BENEFITS – ROAD OVER SWAMP CROSSING
  𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑊18 = 𝑍𝑅 × 𝑆0 + 9.36 × 𝑙𝑜𝑔 𝑆𝑁 + 1 −
𝑙𝑜𝑔∆𝑃𝑆𝐼
2.7
0.2 + 1094 + 2.32 × 𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑀𝑅 − 8.07
TRAFFIC BENEFIT RATIO (TBR) 0.4+ 5.19
𝑆𝑁 +1

𝑈
The AASHTO method , which considers the  𝑊18 = 𝟏𝟏𝟒𝟎𝟖𝟖 𝑬𝑺𝑨𝑳 𝒄𝒚𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒔
pavement as a multi-layer elastic system with 𝑠/𝑟
 𝑊18 = 𝟔𝟔𝟖𝟎𝟑𝟔𝟐 𝑬𝑺𝑨𝑳 𝒄𝒚𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒔
an overall structural number (SN) that reflects
the total pavement thickness and its resiliency 𝑁𝑠/𝑟 25𝑚𝑚
 𝑇𝐵𝑅 = 𝑁𝑈 25𝑚𝑚
= 𝟓𝟖. 𝟓𝟔
to repeated traffic loading, is employed.
 𝑊18 𝑟𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑑 = 𝑇𝐵𝑅 × 𝑊18 𝑢𝑛𝑟𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑑 =
𝟔𝟔𝟖𝟎𝟗𝟗𝟑 𝑬𝑺𝑨𝑳 𝒄𝒚𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒔
VERIFICATION OF TRAFFIC
BENEFIT RATIO (TBR) AND BASE
COURSE REDUCTION (BCR)

Determination of TBR and BCR based on Base Course remaining life structural thickness
Scenario Remaining Life Base Course Structural Thickness
• No. filtrations/separation/reinforcement geosynthetics in unreinforced
• Loss in base course structural thickness predominantly due to black cotton soil ingression
• Reinforced pavement structure includes geotextile for filtration/separation and stress mobilization of black cotton soil

Thickness Structural
250
Depreciation Curves
Remaining Life Base Course Structural

200mm Premature
FAILURE due to Unreinforced
BCS subgrade EXTRAPOLATED
Curve
Thickness, fscXTD2

152mm
125mm
Terminal Thickness
Geosynthetics Reinforced Legend 102.0mm
• = Remainig Life Layer Coefficient Ratio • = Unreinforced Design Thickness
Unreinforced • = Design Thickness • = Reinforced Structural Capacity Factor
• = Reinforced Design Thickness • = Unreinforced Structural Capacity Factor
0
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0
No. ESAL Load Cycles (Traffic Passes) X106
 Enhanced Geotechnical Engineering Properties

Example of Structural Benefits

Comparison of Unreinforced and Reinforced UCS for
swampy BCS for Drilling Project of White Nile Oil in
Jonglei State, Southern Sudan
No. Unreinforced Reinforced Description % Increase Remarks
[Mpa] [Mpa]
1 1.45 No soil reinforcement
2 1.45 2.1 Geogrid SS20G, 1/3H 45 >30<100

3 1.45 2.15 Geogrid SS20G, 1/5H 48 >30<100

4 1.45 2.2 Double Geogrid SS20G, 52 >30<100

1/ H, 2/ H
3 3

5 1.45 1.55 Mat 1/3H 7 >30<100

6 1.45 1.85 Mat 1/5H 28 ≈30<100

7 1.45 2.1 Double Mat 1/3H, 1/5H 45 >30<100

NEAT BLACK COTTON SOIL
SAMPLES

Comparison of Unreinforced and

Reinforced UCS for swampy BCS for
Drilling Project of White Nile Oil in
Jonglei State, Southern Sudan
White Nile Oil in Jonglei State, Southern Sudan
Value Engineering Benefits-
Environmental Benefits
Subgrade Improvement – Reduction in Quantity
of Capping Layer
𝑈𝐶𝑎𝑝 𝑈𝐶𝑎𝑝
𝑇𝑆𝐺 = 2253 × 𝑒 −0.455×2 = 𝟗𝟎𝟔𝒎𝒎 𝑇𝑆𝐺 = 2253 × 𝑒 −0.455×9 = 𝟑𝟕. 𝟓𝒎𝒎

Capping Layer

Without Geosynthetic Reinforcement With Geosynthetic reinforcement

 Projects in Kenya
PROJECT MATERIALS YEAR
1. Garsen Bridge Tensar GM Tube Gabions 1987
Gauff – China Roads and Bridges
2. Garsen / Lamu Junction Asphalt Reinforcement 1987
Gauff Experimental Tensar AR1 grids
3. Aberdares – Nairobi Pipeline Soil Erosion Control 1989
Horward Humphreys – Sogea Tensar Mat
4. Thika – Makutano Swamp Crossing Reinforcement 1990
Gibbs – TM AM Tensar SS2 Biaxial Geogrids
5. Westlands – Limuru Dual Carriageway Embankment Reinforcement 1991
Gauff – Federecci Tensar SS2 Biaxial Geogrids
6. Westlands – Limuru Dual Carriageway Asphalt Reinforcement 1992
Gauff – Federecci Tensar AR1 Geogrids
7. Eldoret – Burnt Forest Reconstruction Swamp Crossing Reinforcement 1993
Gauff - Strabag Tensar SS2 Biaxial Geogrids
8. Webuye – Malaba Reconstruction Swamp Crossing Reinforcement 1993
Nicholas O’Dwyer – Federecci Tensar SS2 Biaxial Geogrids
9. Baricho – Mombasa Access Pipeline Rd River Crossing Embankment 1998
Gauff – Sogea Tensar SS2
10. Garsen – Lamu Road Embankment Reinforcement 2003
Gauff – China Road and Bridge Tensar SS30-SS40 and 55RE
11. Meru – Mikinduri – Maua Road [Phase 1] Slope Protection & Erosion Control 2010
KeRRA – H-Young & Co EA Tensar T-mat 400
12. Lake Turkana BGP Marine Seismic Project Construction of sand access roads and heavily loaded plat 2012
BGP _ Tullow Oil Company forms – Tensar TriAx TX 160
 Projects in Uganda
PROJECT MATERIALS YEAR
1. Kabale – Katuna Road Slip Failure Reconstruction with Tensar Geocell Mattress 1999
Typsa O’Sullivan & Graham – Stirling
2. Kabale – Katuna Road Slip Reinforcement wrap around 2000
Typsa O’Sullivan & Graham – Stirling Tensar RE uniaxial Geogrid
3. Kampala – Masaks Road Swamp Crossing Embankment 2000
Stirling Tensar SS20 Biaxial Geogrid
4. Mbarara – Ibanda Road Embankment Failure Reconstruction 2000
ACE Engineers - Energoprojekt Tensar SS20 Biaxial Geogrid
5. Malaba – Bugiri Road Swamp Crossing Reinforcement 2000
Gauff - Strabag Tensar SS2 Biaxial Geogrids
6. Fort Portal – Kyejojo Road Embankment Failure Reconstruction 2001
ACE Engineers - Energoprojekt Tensar 80RE
7. Kabala Water Project Tensar SS30 2001
Bella Consult - Spencon
8. Semliki Oil Drilling Tensar SS30 2002
BMS Mineral Services
9. Bugiri – Jinja Road Embankment Widening over Black Cotton Soil 2004
Gauff – Basil Tensar SS20Biaxial Geogrid
10. Kampala Relief Road Embankment Foundation Reinforcement over Swamps 2005
BCEOM - Salini Tensar SS20Biaxial Geogrid

11. Kampala Ring Road Swamp Crossing reinforcement 2010

Salini Tensar TriAx TX 160 Geogrid
 Projects in East and Central Africa than have utilized Geosynthetics
 Timboroa – Eldoret Road [1993]
 Webuye – Malaba Road [1993]
BY SIRMOI WEKESA
 Thika – Makutano Road [1990]
 Westlands – Limuru Dual Carriageway [1992]
Technical
 Garsen Director
– Lamu Road [2003] and Civil Engineer,
 Meru – Mikinduri Road [2010]
 Isiolo Airport [2011] GEOSYNTHETICS EA LTD
 Tullow Oil – Loading Platform for Oil rigs and Access Roads in Lake Turkana [2012]
Email:
 Kabale – Katuna Road [1999]sirmoi@geosyntheticsea.com
 Mbarara – Ibanda Road [2000]
 Malaba – Bugiri Road [2000]
 Kampala Relief Road [2005]

THANK YOU
 Bugiri – Jinja Road [2004]